''Pixies'' is an EP by the American

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...

band of the same name, released in 2002 by

SpinART Records SpinART Records was a New York City-based independent record label that released recordings by The Apples in Stereo, Clem Snide, Frank Black, and Michael Penn. The label was started by Joel Morowitz and Jeff Price in 1991. SpinART filed for ban ...

in the U.S., Cooking Vinyl in the UK and

Sonic Unyon Sonic Unyon Recording Company is an independent record label based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Their former retail store was located on Wilson Street near James Street North. The label has put out releases by bands including Tristan Psioni ...

in Canada. It consists of the remaining songs from the band's original 17-track demo tape (known informally as ''The Purple Tape''), eight songs of which were released in 1987 as the band's debut, '' Come On Pilgrim''.Austin Chronicle review
/ref> All 17 songs were recorded by Gary Smith at

Fort Apache Studios Fort Apache Studios is a New England recording studio focusing on alternative rock sessions produced there since 1986. History The studio was initially built by a collective begun in 1985 by musician/producer Joe Harvard and members of a band ...

in March 1987. " In Heaven (Lady in the Radiator Song)" is a cover of a song featured in

David Lynch David Keith Lynch (born January 20, 1946) is an American filmmaker, visual artist and actor. A recipient of an Academy Honorary Award in 2019, Lynch has received three Academy Award nominations for Best Director, and the César Award for Be ...

's 1977 film ''

Eraserhead ''Eraserhead'' is a 1977 American surrealist film, surrealist horror film written, directed, produced, and edited by David Lynch. Lynch also created its Eraserhead (soundtrack), score and sound design, which included pieces by a variety of oth ...

''.

Track listing

All songs written by Black Francis, except "In Heaven", by

Peter Ivers Peter Scott Ivers (born Peter Scott Rose, September 20, 1946 – March 3, 1983) was an American musician, singer, songwriter, and television personality. He was the host of the experimental music television show '' New Wave Theatre''. Despite Iv ...

and

. #"Broken Face" – 1:23 #"Build High" – 1:41 #"Rock a My Soul" – 1:40 #"Down to the Well" – 2:36 #"Break My Body" – 2:00 #"I'm Amazed" – 1:40 #"

Here Comes Your Man "Here Comes Your Man" is a song by the American alternative rock band Pixies, written and sung by the band's frontman Black Francis. Produced by Gil Norton, it was released as the second single from the group's second album '' Doolittle'' in June ...

" – 2:50 #"Subbacultcha" – 2:52 #" In Heaven (Lady in the Radiator Song)" – 1:43

''The Purple Tape''

''The Purple Tape'' was recorded in three days during the band's first studio session in 1987. According to frontman Black Francis, the tape was initially recorded "with the intention of releasing it as a record",Frank, Josh; Ganz, Caryn. '' Fool the World: The Oral History of a Band Called Pixies''.

Virgin Books Virgin Books is a British book publisher 90% owned by the publishing group Random House, and 10% owned by Virgin Group, the company originally set up by Richard Branson as a record company. History Virgin established its book publishing arm ...

, 2005. . p. 82 and producer Gary Smith later stated that the songs were not thought of as demo recordings.Frank, Josh; Ganz, Caryn. '' Fool the World: The Oral History of a Band Called Pixies''.

, 2005. . p. 67 The sessions were financed by Francis after borrowing $1,000 from his father.Frank, Josh; Ganz, Caryn. '' Fool the World: The Oral History of a Band Called Pixies''.

, 2005. . p. 61

Track listing

Side one #"Levitate Me" – 2:30 † #"The Holiday Song" – 2:08 † #"I've Been Tired" – 2:36 † #"Break My Body" – 2:00 #"Down to the Well" – 2:36 #"Rock a My Soul" – 1:40 #"I'm Amazed" – 1:40 #"Build High" – 1:41 #"In Heaven (Lady in the Radiator Song)" – 1:43 Side two #"Caribou" – 3:17 † #"Here Comes Your Man" – 2:50 #"Subbacultcha" – 2:52 #"Vamos" – 3:10 † #"Broken Face" – 1:23 #"Nimrod's Son" – 2:15 † #"Isla De Encanta" – 1:42 † #"Ed Is Dead" – 2:32 † † = Appeared on the band's debut EP, '' Come On Pilgrim'' (1987).

Songs

The recordings were captured on two reels of tape and included two different takes of "Rock a My Soul", as well as unspecified recordings labeled "Leonard Norman acoustic number" and "The New One".Frank, Josh; Ganz, Caryn. '' Fool the World: The Oral History of a Band Called Pixies''.

, 2005. . p. 68 "Down to the Well" and "Rock a My Soul" from this session were re-released in 1988 on the ''Sounds Waves 3'' EP, a 7-inch,

rpm Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...

record that also included tracks by

the Wedding Present The Wedding Present are an English indie rock group originally formed in 1985 in Leeds, England, from the ashes of The Lost Pandas. The band's music has evolved from fast-paced indie rock in the vein of their most obvious influences The Fall, ...

the Pogues The Pogues were an English or Anglo-Irish Celtic punk band fronted by Shane MacGowan and others, founded in Kings Cross, London in 1982, as "Pogue Mahone" – the anglicisation of the Irish Gaelic ''póg mo thóin'', meaning "kiss my arse" ...

and

the Sugarcubes The Sugarcubes ( Icelandic: Sykurmolarnir) were an Icelandic alternative rock band from Reykjavík formed in 1986 and disbanded in 1992. For most of their career, the band consisted of Björk Guðmundsdóttir (vocals, keyboards), Einar Örn Bened ...

which was given away with issues of ''

Sounds In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...

'' magazine. Several of the tracks on the tape were re-recorded for later Pixies releases: "I'm Amazed", "Broken Face", and "Break My Body" (for ''

Surfer Rosa ''Surfer Rosa'' is the debut studio album by the American alternative rock band Pixies, released in March 1988 on the British label 4AD. It was produced by Steve Albini. ''Surfer Rosa'' contains many of the elements of Pixies' earlier output, incl ...

''); "Here Comes Your Man" ('' Doolittle''); a live version of "In Heaven" (" Gigantic" single); "Down to the Well" ('' Bossanova''); "Build High" ("

Planet of Sound "Planet of Sound" is a song by the American alternative rock band Pixies, from their 1991 album '' Trompe le Monde''. It was written and sung by frontman Black Francis and produced by Gil Norton during the album's recording sessions. "Planet of Sou ...

" single); and a revised "Subbacultcha" ('' Trompe le Monde''). The original "Subbacultcha" and "I'm Amazed" both have sections that differ from later re-recordings. The removed chorus from "Subbacultcha" later appeared as the basis for "Distance Equals Rate Times Time", a separate song immediately following the revised "Subbacultcha" on ''Trompe le Monde''.

Artwork

The cassette J-card features a photograph taken by producer Gary Smith of drummer

David Lovering David Lovering (born December 6, 1961) is an American musician and magician. He is best known as the drummer for the alternative rock band Pixies, which he joined in 1986. After the band's breakup in 1993, Lovering drummed with several other act ...

jogging naked in place at Fort Apache, composited with an image of project houses behind the studio.Frank, Josh; Ganz, Caryn. '' Fool the World: The Oral History of a Band Called Pixies''.

, 2005. . p. 69–70

Personnel

;Pixies * Black Francis – vocals, guitars *

– drums *

Kim Deal Kimberley Ann Deal (born June 10, 1961) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. She was the bassist and the co-vocalist in the alternative rock band Pixies, before forming the Breeders in 1989. Deal joined Pixies in January ...

– bass, vocals *

Joey Santiago Joseph Alberto Santiago (born June 10, 1965) is a Filipino-American guitarist and composer. Active since 1986, Santiago is best known as the lead guitarist for the American alternative rock band Pixies. After the band's breakup in 1993, Santiag ...

– lead guitars ;Technical * Gary Smith – producer, original cassette design *

Paul Q. Kolderie Paul Q. Kolderie is an American record producer, engineer, and mixer. He has worked with Pixies, Radiohead, Orangutang, Hole, Dinosaur Jr., Juliana Hatfield, Wax, Warren Zevon, Uncle Tupelo, Throwing Muses, Morphine, the Mighty Mighty Bosstone ...

– engineer * Steve Hoffman – mastering * Andrew Swainson – design

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Purple Tape, The Albums produced by Gary Smith (record producer) Pixies (band) EPs Pixies (band) compilation albums 2002 EPs 2002 compilation albums Demo albums